A Guardian From the Past
by Cat C
Summary: A routine away mission could prove dangerous to Tom Paris, Captain Janeway, and Chakotay
1. Default Chapter

**A Guardian From the Past**

**Disclaimer**** - ****Paramount**** and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right.  The story line belongs to me.**

**A special thanks to:  My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.**

****

"It is now 0700, time to rise.   It is now 0700, time to rise,"   the computer intoned in its flat monotone voice.   

Tom Paris pulled the pillow over his head and moaned, "It's too early..."   

B'Elanna yanked the pillow off her husband's head and leaned over to give him a good morning kiss.   "If you didn't spend half the night in the shuttle bay last night you wouldn't have such a difficult time getting up this morning."  

Tom opened his eyes to be greeted by the deep brown eyes and smirking grin of his wife_.  My God, she is so beautiful, even at this hour of the morning,_ he thought.  He pulled her into his arms for a huge hug and began to tickle her ribs.  Pulling away from him, she grabbed both of his hands, pushed them over his head, and held him in place.  Cobalt-blue eyes looked up into dark brown ones and he quickly stated, "I give, I give!  Let me up...... we have to be in the shuttle bay by 0800"

B'Elanna let go of his hands and let him sit up on the side of the bed.   Then she lay back on her pillow with her hands clasped behind her head, and smiled at Tom lazily**.  **"I don't have to be anywhere today, remember?   I have today off and I plan on getting my rest.   I **am sleeping for two now."  She said, with a small grin on her face.   **

Tom moaned again, this time about how unfair it was that expectant fathers didn't get more time off, and went into the bathroom to get ready for duty.  On his way out of the bedroom, he turned to B'Elanna still complaining.  

She looked up at him and said.  "I'll make it up to you with a big breakfast tomorrow."  

 "It's a date."  Tom smiled as he left their quarters.

*  *  *  *  *

Tom rushed into the mess hall, nearly running into Mike Ayala, who was leaving.  "What's Neelix's latest concoction for breakfast?"  Tom asked. 

 "Something he calls Bajoran casserole.   I think it has some of those blue eggs he found on our last away mission.  It wouldn't be so bad, except he felt it was too bland and added some Telaxian spices to it.   I'd go easy with it and get an extra-large glass of juice."    

 "Thanks Mike."   Tom wandered over to the counter and peered at the bubbling blue mass in the bowl, then grabbed a purple fruit resembling a pear and poured himself a cup of coffee.   He spotted Harry at a corner table and went to sit down with his friend.

 "Good morning, Harry."  Tom settled into a seat across from the young ensign.  

 "Not feeling very brave this morning, Tom?"  Harry inquired, looking at the breakfast Tom had chosen.  

 "Somehow I can't picture that color blue as being anything edible.   I don't have much time; I'm supposed to be meeting the Captain and Commander Chakotay in the shuttle bay at 0800.   We're taking out the new shuttle for a test run to the third planet in this system this morning.   It's a two fold mission, testing the warp drive and scanning the planet for new dilithium crystals.  B'Elanna says the stores are getting low again and since long-range scanners show no other planetary systems for fifteen to twenty light years, we need to stock up."Tom downed his coffee, finished off the fruit in several quick bites, and stood up to leave. 

 "Well, good luck with your reconnaissance mission.  See you tonight for a game of pool?"  Harry asked.

 "If you're really ready to lose more replicator rations, who am I to decline."Tom smiled at Harry and left for the shuttle bay.

*  *  *  *  *

 "Are you sure you packed enough food?  We'll only be gone for seven or eight hours at the most."Captain Janeway questioned Chakotay as he put another basket into the hold of the shuttle _Armstrong.  _

With a big smile that showed off his dimples, Chakotay replied "Well you know how hungry Tom gets lately.  You'd think he was the one carrying that baby."   

Janeway smiled in return and thought fondly how much her chief pilot had changed over the course of the past seven years.   When she'd seen him at the penal colony at Aukland, he'd appeared arrogant and self centered.  But she had seen through his bravado and realized he was just scared and lacking focus.   

She had first met Tom at his father's home, when he was a boy of 10 and she was just a cadet at Starfleet.   Then, when his father, Admiral Owen Paris, became her mentor, she ran into the teenage boy at official functions.   Even then, he was shy around Starfleet personnel.  The exception to this was when he spoke of flying.  Then his entire face would light up, and he would be lost in thought as he spoke of different maneuvers he had accomplished on the simulators at Starfleet headquarters.  

Now he was her chief pilot, a very competent medical assistant and extremely creative holoprogrammer.  Tom was also a loving husband to B'Elanna Torres, and about to become a father.  He had certainly come far in the past few years, and she knew his father would be proud of him indeed when they finally returned to the Alpha Quadrant.

At that moment, Tom strode into the shuttle bay with a small knapsack slung over one shoulder.   "Good morning Captain, Commander.  Ready for the preflight check?"   

 "Yes, Tom, we're packed and ready to go," answered Janeway.  The three officers entered the shuttle and began the preflight check.  

When they were satisfied the shuttle was ready for take off, Chakotay notified the bridge.   "Shuttle _Armstrong_ ready for take off"  

 "Yes, Commander, you are cleared.   Long-range scanners show clear weather over the third planet."  Tuvok responded.

 "Thank you, Mr. Tuvok.  See you in about 7 hours.   Chakotay out."

***  *  *  *  ***

B'Elanna wandered into the mess hall looking for something that she could eat that wouldn't make her feel ill.  She was still experiencing morning sickness although she was now six months along in her pregnancy.  The doctor had warned both Tom and her that a hybrid pregnancy could have various symptoms similar to both Klingon and human pregnancies.  

Neelix was standing behind the counter.  "Good day Lieutenant and how are you and the little one feeling today?"  

 "Oh, I'm feeling a little under the weather, Neelix, but the little one is very feisty this morning and won't let me sleep in as I planned.  She's made it clear that she is hungry again and very restless.  I think she takes after her father a little too much."

Neelix smiled at B'Elanna and offered her a plate of fresh fruit and toast.   She carried the tray to a table in the corner of the mess hall and began to eat, watching as the Alpha shift crew started straggling in for lunch.  

Harry Kim went through the line and selected some Plomeek soup and a strange, orange slice of bread.   He spotted B'Elanna across the room and went to join her.  "Hi, B'Elanna.  How are you feeling today?  Tom mentioned that you were still feeling sick in the mornings."  

 "Yes, Harry.  Unfortunately, my Klingon/human background seems to heighten my symptoms.  But Neelix found some fruit and dry toast that I'm able to keep down."   

The two friends sat quietly eating their meals when they were interrupted by an announcement from the bridge.  "All senior officers please report to the bridge," the voice of Commander Tuvok was heard.  Harry and B'Elanna put their trays in the recycler and headed for the bridge.

*  *  *  *  *

"Tell me, Lieutenant, why the _Armstrong_?"  The captain requested as she settled into the Ops seat on the small shuttle.  

Tom answered, "Neil Armstrong was one of the early American astronauts."   

Chakotay, who was sitting at the navigation station, turned to Janeway and stated.  "He was the first human to set foot on Earth's moon back in 1969."   

 "I forgot that the two of you are 20th century buffs, Chakotay."  The captain smiled at her first officer.  _It's good to see Chakotay and Tom getting along so well and finding a common ground._  

Tom deftly piloted the shuttle around the first two planets in the system; avoiding the gravitational pull that Harry had advised them to be wary of.  "There's the third planet, Captain.  It looks beautiful, almost like Earth with the lakes and mountains over the northern continent."  

 "You're right, Tom, it reminds me of upstate New York.   That one lake looks rather like Lake George.  My family has a cabin at that lake."  She said.

Tom started the descent to the planet's surface on a gentle trajectory.  "We're entering the planet's atmosphere.   Should be on the ground within the next ten minutes."

Suddenly, out of the sky came two intensely bright flashes of light like lightening strikes from Earth but hundreds of times brighter and fairly long lasting.  The shuttle was jolted slightly, and then the lights on all of the panels went out, including the interior lights.  "Chakotay, what the hell was that?   Where's auxiliary power?" The Captain asked as she grabbed onto her console.  

 "I'm not sure what happened, Captain.  We've lost all power, including auxiliary.   Tom, can you still put the shuttle down?"   

 "I'm trying, Commander, but we're like a dead weight.  I'll try to glide it down to the surface, but you two had better brace for impact."

to be continued…

Author's Note:  This is a re-worked version of my very first fan fiction.  The original can be found in "RanDomZine 3: The Last Time I Saw Paris.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Guardian From the Past**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**** - ****Paramount**** and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right.  The story line belongs to me.**

**A special thanks to:  My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.**

The shuttle, _Armstrong, crashed through the tops of the tall fir trees and came to rest on its side at the edge of a steep cliff.   The right front of the shuttle had been crumpled by rocks at the top of the cliff, and then slid over the edge about ten feet before it stopped.  The left side of the shuttle was split open. Through the split, cold air and rain rushed inside, along with a soft light._

Chakotay pulled himself to a standing position from the floor and located an aft compartment.  He pulled out and flipped on a wrist light and went to the Captain's side immediately.   She was lying on the floor of the shuttle, unconscious.  When he gently turned her onto her back, he saw a gash on her forehead and a trickle of blood on the side of her face.  

Tom had been crumpled over the shattered pilot's console but was pushing himself to standing.  "The Captain, is she OK?"  

 "She's out, and has a serious gash on her forehead.  Can you locate a medkit?"Chakotay asked.  

Tom turned to a console behind the pilot's seat, retrieved a medkit, and moved to Chakotay.  

 "How are you, Tom?  You got slammed pretty hard into the console."   

 "I'm a little banged up.   I just need to catch my breath.   What the hell was that?  It passed right through our shields."  Tom said in an anxious voice.

 "I'm not sure, but I don't feel toosecure in thisposition.   I think we should get out of the shuttle and try to contact Voyager with our commbadges."

Just as Chakotay spoke, the shuttle seemed to settle closer toward the edge of the cliff.   

Tom and Chakotay helped the Captain out of the shuttle.  She was coming around, and was able to walk shakily from the shuttle to a flat rock.  She sat while Tom ran a tricorder over her head.   

 "You have a slight concussion, Captain and a nasty cut over your right eye.   Hold still and I'll fix you right up."  Tom smiled at her as he reached into the medkit.

The Captain closed her eyes against the dizziness.  Her face was pale and she winced at the pain on the right side of her head.  Tom knelt down beside her and passed the osteoregenerator over her right temple, then switched to the dermal regenerator and healed the cut.  "We need to get you cleaned up, Captain.  You'll still have a headache and some mild dizziness, but should be fine by tomorrow."

Janeway smiled at Tom and reached her hand to his shoulder.  "Thank you, Lieutenant."

 "Tom, you'd better grab what you can, the shuttle has slipped again."Chakotay said while he grabbed one of the baskets of food and went back in for several blankets.  Tom retrieved the other medkit and several flasks of water.   

Chakotay attempted to contact Voyager through his commbadge, but there was no answer.  "There's too much interference from the storm; we'll have to wait until it subsides."  

Tom pointed up the hill about 30 meters.   "There's a small cave up to the left.  We should take the Captain inside before this rain gets any heavier."

Chakotay helped the Captain to her feet.  With Tom following behind slowly, they made their way up a slight hill to the cave that Tom had spotted.   A loud cracking sound drew their attention to the shuttle as it pitched forward and slowly slid down the cliff and out of sight.  The three Voyager crewmates shuddered as they realized how close they came to more serious injuries.  

Chakotay settled the Captain on the floor of the cave and went back for the food and water.  Tom covered the Captain with one of the blankets and started back outside the cave.  "Tom you need to stay inside the cave until this rain lets up.  We don't have any dry clothing and the temperature is dropping rapidly."  The Captain said to Tom as he neared the entrance.  

 "I ..... I uh.... thought I'd try to contact Voyager again."Tom stammered as he backed towards the entrance of the small cave.

 "Lieutenant, don't make me order you to stay inside.  The interference is too great right now and we can't contact the ship until the storm clears up."  Janeway's voice made it clear she expected Tom to obey.  He reluctantly re-entered the cave and leaned against the wall closest to the entrance.   

Chakotay pulled the remaining supplies further into the small cave, out of the rain, and sat down next to the captain.  In the dim light, he failed to notice how pale Tom's face was and that he winced slightly when he leaned up against the hard rock wall.

*  *  *  *  *

Harry and B'Elanna entered the bridge to find Lieutenant Baytart at the helm and Ensign Tal Celes at the Ops station.   Harry went to Ops and relieved the Ensign, while looking to Tuvok for an explanation as to why they'd been called to the bridge.   

 "We have lost contact with the shuttle and a sudden storm has appeared on our sensors over the third planet.  Ensign Kim, increase power to long-range sensors to search for the shuttle's ion trail.  Lieutenant Baytart, lay in a course that takes us into orbit around the third planet.  When in range, scan for life signs of the away team."  __

_Oh no! _ B'Elanna thought. _This was supposed to be a simple mission to locate dilithium crystals and check out the shuttle.  Tom has to be OK._  "Commander, when did we lose contact with the shuttle?"  She demanded.   

 "We lost all traces of the shuttle at 1345 hours when sensors detected two large energy surges in the lower atmosphere of the third planet.   There have been no answers to our hails."

*  *  *  *  *

Tom shifted restlessly against the wall of the cave and kept glancing out at the storm.  

The captain moaned slightly and pulled the blanket closer around her body.   "The temperature is definitely dropping quite rapidly.  We need some way to keep warm in here."   She glanced at her first officer who smiled back at her.   

 "This time getting heat will be easy; I have a fully charged phaser."   Chakotay stated.  He aimed the phaser at one of the larger rocks on the floor until it began to glow a bright red and sent warmth throughout the small cave.   

Tom looked out of the entrance to the cave and noticed that the rain had let up.   "I'm going to try to contact Voyager again."  He left the shelter of the cave and moved slowly down the slight incline.   

 "This cave is really too small for Tom's comfort."  Janeway remarked.   "The fresh air will do him good and possibly he can get through to Voyager.   I'm starting to get hungry; maybe you can break out some of that food you insisted on bringing."  

 "There's plenty of fruit, and some of the hair pasta Neelix had at dinner last night, but not a lot of hot food.  We didn't expect to get stranded here in this cold rain."

*  *  *  *  *

 "Sir, we're approaching the third planet but sensors are not picking up any life signs.   I believe the interference from the storm is too great."  Lieutenant Baytart declared.   

 "Lieutenant Torres, boost power to the sensor array and scan for any signs of the shuttle and the away team."  Tuvok ordered.   

 "Sensors are at maximum power now, Commander, but they're not getting anything."  B'Elanna reported.  "We need to send someone down to get the away team back."   

 "Lieutenant, I understand your concern but I am not going to risk any more crewmen until we can ascertain what has happened on the planet's surface." Tuvok responded. 

 "Tuvok, we're talking about the Captain, Commander Chakotay and Tom down there!   We can take the _Delta Flyer_ down.  The sensors and shields are more powerful than the shuttle and we can bring the away team back to Voyager."  B'Elanna requested.

 "I'm sorry Lieutenant, but until we have a definite answer as to why we have no signs of the shuttle, we wait it out."   

B'Elanna started to protest, but a look from Harry told her it would be futile to argue with Tuvok, so she continued to try to boost the sensor array.

*  *  *  *  *

Tom stumbled back into the entrance of the cave with a small pouch in his hands.  "Still can't get through to Voyager.  The energy surges in the lower atmosphere are preventing any signals past the tops of the trees.   But I did find something to brighten our dinner."  He said with a sly smile.   He held out the pouch to Chakotay.  "Wild mushrooms, and don't worry, I scanned them with the tricorder, they're safe to eat.   We can make soup which will help to ward off the cold."   He took several ragged breaths as he suddenly slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor of the cave.   

Chakotay, grabbing a medical tricorder, was on his feet bending over Tom.  "Why didn't you say anything?"  He demanded as he scanned the younger man.   "You have several broken ribs and a bruised spleen.   There might even be some internal bleeding."   He grumbled as he reached out and pressed on Tom's abdomen.   

Tom hissed in pain and glared at Chakotay.  "Get your damn hands off of me!"   

 "Look Paris, you need medical attention and you should have let us know about your injuries right away."  Chakotay snapped at Tom.

 "And what could you have done Commander, performed surgery here in our home away from home?"  Tom attempted to push Chakotay away from him.

 "Gentlemen, enough!"  Janeway shouted above their loud voices.  "Tom, you should have told us that you were hurt."  

 "Sorry, Captain, but I didn't think it was so bad.  I've been banged up before.  It just started getting harder to breathe coming back up the hill."  Tom whispered as the pain became more intense.

Chakotay took the osteoregenerator and began to heal the fractured ribs.  "I'm afraid I can't do anything about the internal bleeding, Tom, but I can give you something for the pain."  He pressed a hypospray to Tom's neck, grabbed a blanket, and covered Tom with it as he sat against the cold stone wall of the cave.  

 "Thanks, Commander."  Tom closed his eyes in relief as the medication coursed through his system.  "Sorry I snapped at you."  

 "It's OK, Paris." Chakotay answered as he turned back to the baskets of food.  "Well, I guess I'm the cook for tonight.  I'll get some soup going and then we'd all better try to get some rest.   Hopefully, we can get through to Voyager in the morning."

*  *  *  *  *

"There must be something else we can do." B'Elanna complained to Harry as they left the bridge. 

Harry turned towards her in the turbolift.   "Let me go down to Astrometrics and see if Seven has any ideas on how to enhance our scanners." Harry left the turbolift on deck six and headed into Astrometrics. He kept thinking that he was missing something important. 

to be continued…  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**A Guardian From the Past**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**** - ****Paramount**** and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right.  The story line belongs to me.**

**A special thanks to:  My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.**

The light on the planet's surface grew dimmer, and the three crew members in the cave grew quiet. Once the soup was finished and the area cleaned up, Chakotay went outside and once again tried to contact Voyager, without success. When he returned, he checked on Tom, who was asleep just inside the entrance to the cave.

"We need to get him medical attention soon!" The Captain stated as Chakotay sat down beside her, pulling the third blanket over himself. 

Glancing at the Captain, he noted that she was still quite pale.  "You need to have the doctor check you out as well.  If the shuttle hadn't gone down the cliff, we'd at least have a homing beacon to set out." 

"Well, let's get some rest Commander, and see what we can do in the morning." 

 _Back to "Commander."__  Kathryn's in Command mode again._ He sighed as he lowered himself to the floor of the cave and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. 

*  *  *  *  *  

Harry walked into Astrometrics and approached Seven of Nine. She appeared deep in thought as she stood by the main view screen and ran different scanning  
patterns over the surface of the planet below them_.  She's so competent and so beautiful but she doesn't give me the time of day. _ Harry thought.  

Seven heard his approach and turned to greet him. "Good afternoon, Ensign. I have run numerous scans of the planet's surface but have been unable to locate the away team's life signs or any evidence of the shuttle." 

"Did you scan for Duranium or Titanium?"  Harry asked.

 "There are too many minerals on the planet's surface to determine whether any of the findings indicate the shuttle's location." 

"If you can think of anything else, Seven, you can com me at any time. I mean that, even if it's the middle of the night." 

"I know you are worried about Lieutenant Paris, but I'm sure that between the three of them that they will safely return to Voyager." Seven gave him a slightly friendly look. 

"Thank you, Seven." Harry said as he left Astrometrics for his quarters. _There has to be some way of finding them, _he thought as he entered the turbolift.

*  *  *  *  *  
  


A faint light began to enter the cave where the away team slept. Kathryn Janeway became aware of an arm wrapped around her shoulders and felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. She slowly turned around and looked into the face of her first officer. _He's so handsome and so caring, _she thought as she shyly reached up and traced the tattoo over his left eye.  

He began to stir, and she quickly drew her hand away.  "You don't have to stop; that feels nice." His deep voice startled her and dark brown eyes opened to look into blue-grey ones. He reached out and gently traced her lips with his thumb. He gave her a full smile, showing off his dimples, as he spoke. "It must have gotten quite cold in here last night when the heat wore off of the rocks." 

She knew that she should pull away from him, but the warmth coming from his body was comforting, and her head still ached from the mild concussion she had suffered in the crash.  They continued to stare into each other's eyes for several more minutes, until they heard coughing coming from the entrance to the cave.   
 "Tom!" the captain said as she disentangled herself from the blanket. She stood, ignoring her headache, and approached the pilot, who continued to cough softly. "Tom, how are you doing this morning?"

He slowly opened eyes, glazed with pain. "I..I... hurt." Tom replied in a shaky voice.  

"Let me get you something for the pain, Tom." Janeway said. 

"I...I'm..... thirsty. Do we.... have any...more water?" He asked, with another cough. 

"I'll get you some." She replied.  She placed her hand on the side of his face to find his skin cold and clammy.  "Chakotay, I think he's going into shock. We have to try to contact Voyager again." 

Chakotay helped Tom into a sitting position and the captain held a flask of water to his lips. 

"Take small sips only, Tom."  Janeway said quietly frowning, as she realized how severe his injuries were.

He nodded at her, took several small sips and began to cough again. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and the captain was shocked to see blood on his hand.

*   *  *  *  *

  
Chakotay left the cave, walked into a clearing, and again tried to contact Voyager, without luck.  He scanned the area and found high readings of Dilithium crystals as well as other minerals they could use aboard the ship. _This mission could have been very successful if not for those strange energy surges that destroyed the shuttle's systems. Tom needs immediate medical care that the medkits just can't provide. _ He walked back to the cave to deliver the bad news to his fellow shipmates.  
 "Still no sign of Voyager. I guess the storm's interference is long-term. I'm going to try to get down to the shuttle and see if I can get communications up again."

"Please be careful, Chakotay. We can't afford any more injuries." Janeway remarked with a small smile as he left the cave. _I can't afford to lose you, now that I'm finding you again,_ she thought. She turned to Tom, offered him more water, and placed a hypospray against the side of his neck. He shivered slightly, and the  
captain pulled the blanket up to his neck and sat down next to him. She stared out of the cave, wishing for Chakotay's safe return and for some sign from Voyager.  
                                                *  *  *  *  *  
B'Elanna tossed and turned in her bed. She had not gotten more than two or three hours of sleep during the night because she was so worried about the away team.  They were all close to her but her major concern was for her husband. _We have to find him soon. I have a very bad feeling about this mission._ She thought to herself as she got up and got dressed.

*  *  *  *  *  
Alpha shift was beginning on Voyager and Harry Kim once again headed for Astrometrics. He knew there had to be a way to locate the shuttle and his friend on the planet's surface. When he walked in, Seven was already at one of the consoles. She looked as if she'd had trouble sleeping the night before, and Harry thought, _She's__ as concerned about them as the rest of us. She just doesn't know how to express it._

"Ensign Kim, I may have found something." She stated. "There is an unusual amount of plasma drifting over the northern continent of the planet. The shuttle may have gone down in that area. That's where we need to concentrate our scanners."

"Are there any other findings besides the plasma to be sure it's from our shuttle?" Harry asked.

"No, Ensign Kim.  Is there anything that would be peculiar to the shuttle that may not appear on the planet's surface?"  
Harry suddenly grinned. "Yes!  There's something unique to any shuttle that Tom flies. Could you scan for silver and turquoise?" 

"Ensign Kim, neither of those items is used in the construction of a shuttle." 

"I know, Seven, but please scan for them anyway."  Harry pleaded.

Seven gave Harry a curious glance, but proceeded to adjust the scanners for silver and turquoise.  She gave him a genuine smile as she announced that there were trace elements of silver and turquoise in a ravine near a large lake on the northernmost continent. 

"Thanks, Seven." Harry beamed as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  Then he took off for the bridge, comming B'Elanna on the way. "B'Elanna, I think we may have found the shuttle. Meet me on the bridge. Harry out."

to be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**A Guardian From the Past**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer**** - ****Paramount**** and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right.  The story line belongs to me.**

**A special thanks to:  My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.**

Chakotay looked down at the back of the shuttle, just visible from the top of the cliff.  _'_The shuttle lay on its right side, about ten meters from where he stood._  Spirits!  I'm glad we got out of there before it went over the edge.  We'd all be in much worse shape,_ he thought to himself, as be began a slow descent to the shuttle.  

After several minutes, he reached the back hatch which was still open.  He climbed in carefully and, using a wrist light, started searching for a homing beacon.  Finding two beacons under the shattered pilot's console, Chakotay soon realized that they were too damaged to be of any use.  "Well, maybe I can get the communications system up and running and get through to Voyager."  He said out loud, just to hear something in the eerily quiet shuttle.   The dense rocks and thick trees blocked out all sounds from the planet.  

Chakotay attempted to get any system to operate but, after close to three hours, he realized that the shuttle was beyond the simple repairs he could accomplish.   "This needs the engineering department to get anything going again." 

He was suddenly startled when he heard someone calling out to him.

He looked up as Harry Kim climbed through the back hatch with a relieved look on his face.  "Commander!  Am I ever glad to see you.  Our sensors didn't pick up any life signs on the planet's surface.  Where are the Captain and Tom?"  

"Ensign, it's good to see you too.  We were beginning to wonder if Voyager would be able to scan through the interference in the planet's atmosphere.   Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Paris are in a cave about 30 meters up from that clearing."  Chakotay pointed up and to the left of the shuttle.   "Lieutenant Paris has been badly injured and needs to be beamed up to sick bay immediately."  

"There's a problem with the commbadges on the surface, Commander.   I couldn't reach you, even from the top of the cliff, but spotted the shuttle and came down here to investigate.  Lieutenant Ayala beamed down with me and is scanning the area around the clearing."   

"We should go back up to the clearing and try to reach Voyager again."  Chakotay stated.  

They made their way up to the clearing and were able to contact the ship.  "Commander Chakotay to Voyager.  Come in please."   

"Tuvok here, sir.  Are you all well?"   

"No, Tuvok. Lieutenant Paris requires immediate beam out to sick bay."  Chakotay answered.

"Commander, we are not reading either Captain Janeway's or Lieutenant Paris's commbadges."  Tuvok replied.

"They're in a cave, not far from these coordinates."   Chakotay said.  "There must be interference from the rocks surrounding the cave.   Please have the doctor beam down to see to Lt. Paris."  

The doctor materialized in front of them and the four men headed up to the cave.

*  *  *  *  *

The Captain noticed that Tom's breathing was very shallow, and when she checked his pulse it was weak and rapid.  Even under two blankets, he continued to tremble and his eyes kept closing.  She recognized the symptoms of hypovolemic shock, probably brought on by the internal bleeding.  

"Captain, we have to get out of here before the shuttle goes over the cliff!"  Tom suddenly said in a confused voice.

"Tom, we're out of the shuttle.  You found a cave and we spent the night here."  She replied gently.  _I have to keep him talking and focused until help arrives._  

"Captain,I....I'm still....thirsty.  Is.....is there anymore water?"  He whispered.  

"You can have some small sips, Tom, but too much will make you sick."  She held the water flask to his mouth and let him take two small sips of water before taking it away.  He focused on her face and calmed slightly.

"Tom, you need to keep talking, in order to stay awake, until Voyager finds us and we can beam you up to sick bay.  Okay?"  She smiled at him.  

A tentative smile flickered across his face.  "I ...never thought you'd be telling .....me to keep talking, Captain.  I thought I..... did that too...too much."  

Janeway smiled warmly back at Tom.  "These are unusual circumstances, Lieutenant.  So, how is B'Elanna doing with the pregnancy now?"  

"She's still experiencing some morning... sickness but the Doc thinks ...that should fade out in the next two weeks."  Tom answered quietly.

"Have you been preparing your quarters for the new arrival?"  Janeway smiled down at her chief pilot.

"Y....yes.   I replicated an old fashioned cradle and B'Elanna found a mobile with star ships and planets on it to hang over the cradle."   As he spoke of the baby, Tom's voice grew steadier, although it was still barely over a whisper.  "We've also come up with her name, Captain.   Her first name will be Miral."   

"For B'Elanna's mother, right?"    Janeway questioned.   

"Yes Captain, Miral Kathryn Paris."   

"Kathryn, Lieutenant?"  The Captain asked hesitantly.  

"Yes.  B'Elanna and I agree that our daughter should always remember the woman who rescued her parents."  

"Rescued you?  I'm the one who stranded you both over 70,000 light years from home.   Why would you want her to remember me?"  She asked, puzzled.

"You gave both B'Elanna and me a second chance for a better life, Captain.   The Alpha Quadrant isn't home. **Voyager** is and the crew is our family."   The captain felt tears sting her eyes, and gave Tom's shoulder a squeeze.

Suddenly, Chakotay and the doctor entered the cave.   Glancing up, the captain saw Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Ayala standing at the entrance.   "Apparently, the rocks in this cave have been masking our life signs and Voyager wasn't able to find us until this morning."   Chakotay stated as the doctor moved to Tom's side.  

Scanning Tom, the doctor looked at him with a slightly annoyed look that did not quite hide the concern he felt for his most frequent patient.  "Well, Mr. Paris, I see that once again you'll be gracing my sick bay with your presence.  I can get you fixed up as soon as we beam you back to the ship."  The Doctor looked up at Chakotay and remarked "We'll need to move him out of the cave once I have him stabilized, so the transporters can get a lock on him and beam him to sick bay."  The doctor removed a hypospray of Hydrocortilene from his medical case and held it to Tom's neck.   "This will ease the pain for now, Mr. Paris."  Tom took in a shaky breath and the doctor reached into his case again.  "This Tri-ox compound will ease your breathing until we can get you back aboard Voyager."  He said, as he administered the second hypo.

The Doctor turned his attention to the Captain.  "And you, Captain.  How are you feeling?"

"Mr. Paris performed admirably in your absence, Doctor."  Janeway responded as he scanned her with his tricorder.

"I can see that he did an excellent job.  I would still like you to check in with me when you return to the ship."  She smiled in agreement with him.  "Mr. Paris is ready to go up to sickbay."  The Doctor nodded towards Chakotay. 

Chakotay and Mike Ayala helped Harry lift Tom and carry him out of the cave with the Doctor following. "Commander Chakotay to Voyager.   Lock onto Lieutenant Paris's commbadge and beam him and the Doctor directly to sick bay."   

"Yes, Commander.  Tuvok out."    Seconds later, Tom and the doctor dematerialized.

Chakotay turned to Harry and told him. "The shuttle's systems are all totally off-line.  We'll need a team from Engineering to come down and repair it enough to fly if back to the ship."  

"Okay, Commander.  I'll get on it as soon as we're back aboard.  Now, we need to get you and the captain back on Voyager."   

Captain Janeway had joined them outside the cave, and signaled to the ship that there were four to beam up.   As they disappeared in the hazy blue light, silence again descended on the planet's surface.

*  *  *  *  *

B'Elanna was waiting in sick bay when Tom and the doctor appeared.  Ensign Wildman was on duty as the medical assistant, and helped the Doctor get Tom settled on biobed one.   B'Elanna took Tom's hand, and he opened his eyes at her touch.   

 "Hey."  He said softly.   

 "Hey yourself."  She responded tenderly. 

 "Sorry about breakfast." He whispered.  B'Elanna just smiled down at him and squeezed his hand.   

 "Ensign, please prep Lieutenant Paris for surgery."  The Doctor instructed Samantha Wildman.   "Lieutenant Torres, you may wait in my office.  He'll be just fine."  The Doctor proclaimed with a warm look in his eyes.  __

_He's definitely changed in the past few years.   I think he really cares about Tom._ B'Elanna thought as she walked into the Doc's office.   Sam placed a hypospray against the side of Tom's neck, and he slowly faded into unconsciousness.

*  *  *  *  *

The next evening, Harry walked into sickbay, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a green shirt.  He found B'Elanna standing next to biobed one, talking to the Doctor.  Tom was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, with a slight smile on his face.  

 "Now, Mr. Paris, I've already informed the Captain, that you are cleared to return to full duty shifts in 48 hours.  This, of course, includes your shift in sick bay."  

 "Right, right, Doc.  I understand.  Can I leave now?"  Tom asked impatiently.  

 "Yes, Mr. Paris.  You are fit to leave."  The Doctor answered with an annoyed look on his face.

 "Well, Harry, are you ready to lose those replicator rations?"  Tom asked as he put his arm across Harry's shoulder and headed out of sick bay.  

 "And just what makes you so sure that I'll lose this time?"  Harry answered with a slight grin on his face.

 "Harry, Harry, Harry, when was the last time I lost to you?"  Tom's voice was heard as the sickbay doors swished shut.

B'Elanna smiled at her husband and their friend as they headed for the turbolift.

*  *  *  *  *

When they got to Holodeck One, they found the Sandrine's program already running.  The three entered the bar and sat down near the pool table.   Captain Janeway and Chakotay were in the midst of a game of pool, and she appeared to be beating him soundly.  Harry went up to the bar and returned with 3 Romulan Ales.  As he set the glasses down on the table, the Captain and Chakotay joined them.

 "I understand you were able to bring the _Armstrong back on board."  Chakotay said, looking at Harry and B'Elanna.   _

 "Yes."  B'Elanna answered.  "We had to re-initialize all of the power conduits, but were able to fly it off the planet's surface.  It's being repaired in the shuttle bay."

 "Harry," the Captain questioned, "You never did tell us how you were able to locate the shuttle on the planet through all of the interference.  What scans did you use?"  

 "I knew when we kept getting readings of massive amounts of Duranium and Titanium that we had to look for something not typically found in the shuttle construction.  Seven asked me if there was anything that was peculiar to that shuttle.   That's when I remembered this."   Harry answered, pulling something out of his shirt pocket and handing it to Tom.  "Here, I retrieved this from the shuttle this afternoon."  

 "Thanks, Har."  Tom said as he gently cradled the silver-looking object in his hand.   

 "I remembered that Tom always carries this with him when he takes a shuttle out for its maiden flight."   Harry looked towards his friend.

 "May I see it, Lieutenant?"  The Captain asked, and Tom handed her a belt buckle. The rectangular buckle was made of silver, with a smaller Turquoise rectangle in the middle.   Set into the inner rectangle was a silver eagle with its wings stretched out in flight.  "This is beautiful, Tom.   Where did you get it?"   

 "My father bought if for me."  Tom answered with a wistful look on his face.  "It was just after my first shuttle flight.   He let me fly an old impulse engine shuttle from the Aldren base on the moon to Earth.   We landed in Aztec, New Mexico.  He said he was very proud of me, and that since I had done so well, I could buy a souvenir.  I found this at a little stand in the village near the shuttle port."  

 "How old were you, Tom?"  Janeway asked.

 "I was just eight years old.   I was so scared when he told me to take over the controls.  I couldn't level the shuttle off at first and thought we'd crash back onto the surface of the moon.  He told me to relax and imagine it was one of the simulations at Starfleet Headquarters.  He'd been letting me fly the simulations at the Academy from the time I was five."

 "So, after telling you to relax, your father let you fly all the way home?"   Chakotay asked.

 "Yes, Commander.   I finally leveled it off, flew a tight orbit around Earth, and brought if down for a fairly smooth landing.  Then I found this belt buckle and asked him if I could get it.  The Navajo man who was selling it said that it was over 300 years old, and very valuable.   At first, my father said no because it was too expensive."   

 "Then, he changed his mind?"  Chakotay asked.  

 "Yes.  He gazed at me with a sad look in his eyes and said, if I wanted it that much, he'd have to buy it for me."  Tom's voice grew lower.  

 "He must have loved you very much."  The Captain said softly.   

 "Yeah ...I guess he did.  That was before the Cardassians and the... two of you... being captured.  It was never the same after he came home...."  Tom's voice trailed off as he got a pained look in his eyes.

 "Tom, do you know the significance of the different parts of the belt buckle?"  Chakotay asked.    

 "No, I just wanted it because I liked the way it looked.  My favorite color was blue and I thought the eagle looked good with its wings spread out like it was gliding through the sky."   

Chakotay carefully turned the belt buckle over several times in his hands.  "Native Americans, during the 20th century, prized the mineral kingdom as one of the oldest on the planet.   Turquoise was one of the four sacred stones of the Navajo tribe, who regarded it as a valuable talisman.  Silver was considered very precious, and the eagle in flight represents a soaring spirit - quite appropriate for a pilot.  The three elements combine to form a talisman meant to keep the owner safe from harm."

          "I do remember the man we brought if from saying that it would bring me good luck.   My father scoffed at the idea, but I guess I wanted to believe it.  I never told him, but I started to bring it whenever I flew a new shuttle.   I guess the Admiral was right though.   It certainly didn't bring us good luck with the _Armstrong."  _

 "But you're wrong, Tom."  B'Elanna spoke up.   "The three of you survived and returned to Voyager.   It did keep you safe until we could rescue you."   She leaned in towards her husband and gave him an affectionate hug.  

A faint smile began on Tom's face, slowly spreading to his eyes as he returned the embrace.   "I suppose that man was right after all."

The End


End file.
